Interesting story below with regard to counterfeit Cummins parts being responsible for early destruction of a 50 litre Cummins engine (K50, V16) in a big excavator. Cummins are gunning for these counterfeit parts and their importers - especially where they're using Cummins logos and trying to make it look like they come from a Cummins division. https://www.australianmining.com.au/counterfeit-parts-destroy-50l-cummins-engine-at-wa-mine/
A non-story really. Mine operator tries to cut costs by having an engine overhauled outside the OEM’s official network. Rebuilder uses “will-fit” parts badged up to look like OEM. Shock horror.
True, Nige - but I was posting the warning in case someone gets sucked into purchasing "genuine Cummins" parts, where they are not genuine. As Cummins says, the counterfeiters are using Cummins logos, barcodes, QR codes, packaging and labelling, that is all designed to convince unsuspecting buyers the parts are genuine.
Quality aftermarket will have their markings on their parts. There are a bunch of passenger jets parked due to counterfeit Rolls Royce parts. As bad as it is on an excavator engine just the thought of inferior parts on a jet engine is scary. Careful examination and measuring revealed the faulty parts. They were sold as OEM parts.
It's why when buying aftermarket it's best to stay with a company like F/P Diesel, it's up front you know your buying essentially Federal Mogul.
Counterfeit Timken bearings are causing problems also. They have all the correct factory markings - even the box looks genuine. However the steel alloys are lacking quality controls - as well as the proper heat-treatment/temper. Simply put, counterfeit Timken bearings are junk and fail prematurely. If you're lucky, just the bearing fails. Unfortunately high-load bearing failures often destroy the entire rotating assembly. Imagine the awkward conversations that take place when Timken is solicited for warrantee-related compensation, only to be told that they didn't make the failed bearings. And good luck filing a claim against the people who actually did make the counterfeit parts.
I think you could go after the shop that sold them. I imagine things like bearings have lot numbers to document them and could be traced all the way back to Timkin if they were actual Timkin bearings. The same way steel has heat numbers and test reports.
Go after the middleman? Maybe . . . . It depends on whether or not the reseller was a willing/knowing participant - which would be difficult to prove. Resellers (including private sellers) should not be automatically charged with the legal responsibility of verifying that parts are authentic. However, if parts-authenticity verification is written into the purchase/service contract, then the reseller should be on the hook (IMHO). The people most responsible for defrauding the customer, damaging their equipment, and also harming the Timken name, is the bearing manufacturer that produced & packaged sub-standard counterfeit bearings, and placed them into commerce under the Timken name.
There should be direct purchase orders traceable to Timkin. I can't see Timkin selling inferior products that put them or their brand in jeopardy. If someone is trying to save money and not buying bearings from an established bearing house then they are risking getting inferior bearings.
Established bearing houses are not immune from this scam. They buy in bulk for the purpose of retail markup like everyone else.
So Timkin is sending counterfeit bearings? How is someone intercepting Timkin orders? I can see if someone came around offering bearings for less but I can't see an established reputable bearing house falling for a scam like that. Mind you why would anyone not use genuine certified Rolls Royce jet engine parts?? Anything aircraft related generally has the strictest requirements of anything. Trying to save a few bucks on aircraft parts when hundreds of people's lives are in jeopardy seems like it should be a criminal offence.
People think they're buying genuine parts, and they are paying full price. It's called a scam for a reason. People are being scammed. It seems a bit backwards to blame the consumer/reseller as being responsible, but whatever.
Never mind the counterfeits, aftermarket parts in general have gotten so bad in the past few years it’s criminal. The stuff you buy at Advance Auto, Carquest, NAPA, etc is such garbage it drove me to buy a new truck, just so I could buy OEM parts from the dealer. It was getting to the point I couldn’t run my business on cheap Chinese parts which was all that was available for my older trucks. I was buying the best, most expensive brands the offered and you could just feel how cheap the parts are in your hands. Some things were failing with such regularity I was writing the date and mileage on the part when I installed them, like you would on an oil filter.
Aftermarket parts can be a real pain even in the auto market. I run a VW Tiguan and the thing would eat post DPF sensors like a hungy dog. Dam thing went through 5 sensors in a month--swore at the supplier who told me they were OEM but they were not. Gave me money back to get rid of me--I can be a real PITA with suppliers. Ordered one from local VW dealer at a huge cost--fitted it and no problems now for some 18 months. Found out they use NGK sensors which I can buy MUCH cheaper than what VW charge. Every time the car went into regen mode, bang, sensor light would come on--nearly scrapped car over it. Aftermarket sensors coun`t stand the 500+ deg that is generated when car goes into regen mode to clean the crap out of the DPF. W`ont fit them on customers cars--less aggro